Plan launched to keep UK aerospace flying high

17/09/2012

The latest £120 million investment from Government and industry in aerospace research and technology was announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable at the Farnborough International Airshow.

The new funding, part of a total £200 million investment in aerospace since 2011, was announced alongside a new vision for the future of the sector, which will help UK aerospace firms win billions of pounds worth of new contracts over the next 15 to 20 years.

It will see Government and industry working together – under the guise of the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP) – to secure the future for UK aerospace.

The announcement gave the first details of how funding for the new virtual aerodynamics centre would be distributed, including around £12 million for capability building work within the centre to develop and establish the UK’s intellectual leadership in aerodynamics. It will be supported by:

£28.2 million of Government investment allocated to six innovative new projects in the area of aerodynamics – five research and technology projects and one project with a capital grant – with a further £20 million now to be added by industry; and
A new competition for collaborative aerodynamics research projects to be formally launched through the Technology Strategy Board. Up to £20 million of Government money will be matched by up to £20 million from business.

The remaining funding is made up of:

Government and industry investing £40 million each in SILOET – a Rolls-Royce led programme of low carbon aero engine research;
£15 million joint Government and industry investment awarded by the Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to 11 major business-led R&D projects. These will develop technology that will grow the sector and give the industry a competitive advantage in the global market; and
£3 million each from Government and industry to fund 500 aeronautical engineers at Masters level over the next three years.

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